Discover how a Master of Business Administration for executives from Athabasca University can bring your career to the next level.
Faculty of Business
MBA for
executives
Athabasca University’s (AU) Master of Business Administration (MBA) puts you in control of your education with the flexibility that suits your career— and your life. Unlike traditional MBA programs, we offer online, asynchronous, paced courses throughout the program, meaning you can study whenever it suits you from anywhere in the world.
With 4 different admission routes, AU’s MBA program caters to applicants from a wider range of educational and professional experience than other MBA programs. This allows us to bring in learners with
more diverse backgrounds in business, which provides you with a richer experience. We have kept this at the heart of our MBA ever since it was established in 1994—as the first online MBA program in the world.
Ultimately, we have designed and structured our MBA program to give you the concepts, frameworks, and tools you need to stand out in business, grow your professional network, and unlock greater career opportunities.
Degree
Credits 48*
*Accelerated entry route: 30 credits
Application deadlines and start dates:
Duration
Standard entry route:
Finish in as little as 2.5 years. Must be completed in 5 years.
Finish in as little as 1.5 years. Must be completed in 4 years.
Requirements
October 15 start the following January
March 15 start the following May
June 15 start the following August Delivery Online,
This means each course has its own scheduled start, end, and assignment deadline dates.
Course selection
There are 4 routes of entry into the program. You will be pre-registered in core courses upon admission to the program.
MBA in-residence requirement Tuition, fees, and financing options
All AU MBA students must complete at least 1 in-residence elective. The delivery method may vary depending on the elective course.
Learn more about tuition and fees on our website. To discuss financing options for your MBA, including employer sponsorships, scholarships, awards, and bursaries, contact our graduate recruitment team by email at business-support@athabascau.ca.
What’s expected of you?
Dedicate an average of 20 to 25 hours to your studies per week.
Take what you’ve learned and put it into practice at your workplace.
Cultivate the strength of your arguments and engage with your cohorts and professors in sharing thoughtful, analytical, and insightful perspectives. Participation is integral to the AU peer-to-peer learning model.
Take the time needed— to think and reflect, to craft a response, or to make sure you understand someone else’s argument. This is fundamental and will help you move from memorization to mastery.
We’re here for you!
Within each course, professors establish groups of no more than 10 students and stay actively involved, facilitating discussions to ensure a high level of academic interaction and engagement.
Our support service teams offer all the guidance, advice, and resources you might need—from program and course advising, tutoring, and learning support to mental health, accessibility, financial aid, exam writing, and technical support.
All MBA students are assigned an enrolment advisor upon acceptance to help you manage your schedule and meet your degree requirements.
Stay connected with AU while you study and after graduation through our student and alumni relations teams—and get exclusive alumni discounts. We also connect AU MBA alumni through a private LinkedIn group, which currently has over 2,500 members.
There are 4 routes of entry into the program with requirements that cater to different educational and professional experience.
Undergraduate degree +
3 years managerial experience
You have an undergraduate degree in business completed in the past 10 years + 3.0 GPA or higher for the last 60 credits earned +
3 years managerial experience
These are minimum requirements and do not guarantee acceptance. The admissions committee will make a decision based on a comprehensive review of your application, including work experience, academic performance, transcripts, references, and written compositions.
You hold an accepted professional designation + 5 years of managerial experience
Progressive Management Experience
You have at least 8 years of progressive managerial experience
Find out if you qualify for AU’s MBA
AU is a global leader in business education.
1st online MBA in the world
AU’s MBA has brought high-quality business education to working professionals for over 30 years. In fact, established in 1994, our online MBA is the first of its kind and remains a global leader in the delivery of online business education.
A world of connections at your fingertips
AU MBA graduates in the thousands 40,000+ AU students Accredited by the
Less than 6 per cent of the world’s business schools hold AACSB accreditation.
Our professors and students come from industries across Canada and throughout the world. As you build relationships, you’ll see how this diversity of knowledge, opinion, and life experience adds depth to the program’s curriculum and helps students understand how theories can be applied in a variety of contexts.
Since launching the program in 1994, we have over 4,600 MBA graduates and growing.
The AU community is bigger than you think. We have over 40,000 active learners from across Canada and around the world.
Don’t take our word for it…
“
It was definitely the AU community that tipped the scale for me. They were very good at answering my questions and were very responsive.
—Laurie Wang, MBA ‘23
Vice president, Legal Aid Alberta Read Wang’s story.
I had a good experience at Athabasca University [with my HR certificate], so I thought it was something that I could do while I had all these other things going on in my life.
—Ceilia Koehler, MBA ‘23
Regional manager, employee relations, Amazon Read Koehler’s story. “
“
I was surprised at the depth of the people taking the course. This person is doing well already. Why am I here? These are some ultra-successful people.
—Bob Willows. MBA ‘19
President and CEO, Willows Construction Read Willows’ story.
Average age of Learners: 42 years
Average active learners: 300 - 400 53% identify as male 47% identify as female
Students from industries including:
• Agriculture, forestry, and renewable resources
• Arts, entertainment, and culture
• Construction, industry development, and real estate
• Consulting
• Education
• Energy, mining, oil and gas
• Engineering
• Finance and insurance
• Government and public service
• Health care
• Hospitality
• Information technology
• Manufacturing
• Military and policing
• Not-for-profit and social services
• Retail and wholesale trade
• Transportation and logistics
• Utilities and telecommunications
Students with job titles including:
• Branch Manager
• Chief Financial Officer
• Clinical Manager
• Controller
• Director of Business Development
• Director of Finance
• Director of Operations
• Director of Sales
• General Manager
• HR Manager
• Logistics Manager
• Operations Foreman
• Operations Manager
• President/CEO/Owner
• Principal Engineer
• Project Manager
• Senior Manager
• Vice President
AU’s MBA program is divided into 2 phases. A unique benefit to AU’s MBA program is the Graduate Diploma in Management (GDM) students are awarded following the completion of phase 1.
Learn more about the accelerated entry program structure
6 CORE COURSES
Build a solid foundation of knowledge and skills in the key areas of general management, including:
• Strategic Management
• Human Resources Management
• Financial and Managerial Accounting
• Marketing Management
• Managerial Economics and Quantitative Analysis
• Operations Management
These courses are followed by a weeklong comprehensive case-based exam. The exam is completed online, and requires you to integrate and apply what you have learned up to this point.
After completing Phase 1, you will receive a stand-alone GDM—so you come away with 2 designations.
4 ADVANCED CORE COURSES
Dive deeper into key senior management-related issues, opportunities, and strategies, solidifying your holistic, organizational view of the senior management function.
• Information Technology Strategy
• Corporate Finance
• Strategy and Organizational Analysis
• Ethical Decision Making
All AU MBA students will complete at least 1 in-residence elective, which combines online work with an intensive week of on-location, face-toface instruction or a hybrid, synchronous option (depending on the elective). These courses cover a variety of business topics and are offered throughout the year. In-residence electives are held in locations across Canada. Learn more about the MBA in-residence on our website.
In the second part of phase 2, you have a choice to proceed through a course-based route or applied project route.
6 electives (5 online elective courses +1 in-residence elective course)
• 3 electives (2 online elective courses +1 in-residence elective course)
• Plus an applied project OR
Our MBA program is both flexible and customizable. Whether you want to increase your expertise in a specific field or branch out into new disciplines, there are a number of ways you can design a program built for your goals.
Use your work scenarios as case studies
Within almost all core courses, weekly discussions and individual assignments focus on connecting your learning directly to your company and industry. Our goal is to move you beyond imagining what you “might” do within a scenario and instead help you connect your learning to what is happening in the real world and your workplace. You will come away from each course with tangible and usable knowledge and abilities. You’ll also have a series of deliverables you can take back to your organization.
Choose the electives you want in
With the course-based route in phase 2 of the program, you can choose to concentrate on one subject area or mix things up and take courses in completely different subjects. Electives are available in a diverse collection of subject areas, including:
• Project Management
• Entrepreneurship
• Human Resources
• IT Management
• Leadership
• Operations Management
• Strategy
• Marketing
• Finance and Governance
• International Business
The applied project is a major academic research paper that students complete in five months. This option in phase 2 of the program allows you to investigate and analyze any business challenge or opportunity. With a review of the literature and the systematic application of frameworks, models, concepts, and theories from MBA courses, you can develop practical recommendations, business plans or even launch a new venture in the applied project route.
After submitting a proposal for an applied project, each student is assigned a professor who acts as an academic supervisor. The academic supervisor is an industry expert who will guide and challenge the student through the research process.
The applied project route enriched supervisor and mentor. This route allowed me to demonstrate my own growth across the program. The customizable options and topic selection empowered my leadership development.
—Natasha Pedersson, MBA ‘23
AU’s MBA is designed for your success.
It will prepare you to take the next step in your career, challenging you with real-world application, so you can be ready for what’s next. As an MBA student at AU, you will:
• Develop and hone your ability to think strategically at a high-level
• Build foundational knowledge in multidiscipline and multifunctional business areas
• Think critically and become a more effective decision maker
• Link theory and practice in varying contexts, enhancing your ability to apply knowledge using models, frameworks, and tools that enhance business performance
• Enhance your project management and change management skills
• Further develop your leadership and related interpersonal skills
• Hone your written communication and research skills
You could earn credit towards your MBA, finish the program faster, or even earn a second credential through one of our partnerships.
In partnership with Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA) of Canada:
• Get up to 9 credits towards your MBA, allowing you to finish up to 6 months faster, with a CPA designation (applies also to CA, CMA, CGA designations).
In collaboration with the Canadian College of Health Leaders (CCHL):
• MBA credits are transferable to the Certified Health Executive (CHE) designation program, Canada’s only professional credential available to health leaders.
In partnership with the Supply Chain Canada:
• Get up to 9 credits towards your MBA, allowing you to finish up to 6 months faster, with a Supply Chain Management Professional (SCMP) designation.
Learn more about our partnerships
Interested in applying to our MBA program?
For assistance: 1-800-561-4650 (toll-free in North America) business-support@athabascau.ca Apply Now
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